Basics of Communication

1. What is Communication?
Communication means signal transfer from the transmitter that passes through a
medium; then, the output is obtained at the receiver.
2. What is Sampling?
Sampling is a process of converting a continuous time signal into a discrete
time signal but not a digital signal.
3. What is the difference between Analog and Digital signal?
Analog signal has continuous time and continuous amplitude while digital signal has
discrete time and discrete amplitude.
4. Difference between Digital and Discrete signal.
Digital signal is a signal which has discrete time and discrete amplitude.
Discrete signal often known as the discrete-time signal is a signal, which has discrete
time but continuous (it can have any value) amplitude.
5. What is the Nyquist Criteria for Sampling?
Suppose the maximum frequency of the analog signal is fmax then the Nyquist criteria
suggest that the sampling rate for this analog signal must be 2fmax or greater.
6. What is Aliasing?
Aliasing is a signal effect related to sampling. When a signal is sampled at a sampling
rate less than the required rate, the signal becomes indistinguishable from other
signals and after reconstruction, the signal does not look anything like the original
signal. This effect is called Aliasing.
7. Where do we use FM & AM?
AM is utilized for video signals, for example, TV, and ranges from 535 to 1705 kHz.
While FM is utilized for audio signals, for example, Radio. This ranges from 88 to
108 MHz.
8. What is Base Station?
A base station is a radio transmitter or receiver that serves as the hub of the local
wireless network. It might also be the gateway between the wired networks.
9. What is demodulation?
Demodulation is the act of removing the modulation from an analog signal to get the
original baseband signal back. Demodulating is necessary because the receiver system
receives a modulated signal with specific characteristics and it needs to turn it to base-
band.
10. Explain RF?
Radio frequency (RF) is a frequency or rate of oscillation within the range of about 3
Hz to 300 GHz. This range corresponds to frequency of alternating current electrical
signals used to produce and detect radio waves. Since most of this range is beyond the
vibration rate that most mechanical systems can respond to, RF usually refers to
oscillations in electrical circuits or electromagnetic radiation.
11. What are the parts of Network Management System (NMS)?
Following are the parts of network management system:
 OMC: Operation and maintenance center – Computerized monitoring center.

NMC: Network Management Center – Centralized control of a network is done here.

OSS: Operation and support system – Used for supporting activities performed in an
OMC and/or NMC.
12. Radio broadcasts are generally
Frequency modulation
13. What is the advantage of using orthogonal transmission in digital
communication?
With orthogonal transmission we can increase the duration of each symbol for a
given data transmission rate. The longer the symbol duration, the greater the time for
averaging each symbol in the receiver and better the signal to noise ratio at detector.
14. Why is companding used in PCM transmission?
The companding in PCM transmission is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of
the low signals. Basically it is used to overcome non linearity’s of the system.

15. Why we cannot send the digital signal as it is on the telephone lines?
The digital data consists of binary 0’s and 1’s, therefore the waveform changes its
value abruptly from high to low or low to high. In order to carry such a signal
without any distortion being introduced, the communication medium needs to have a
larger bandwidth. Unfortunately, the telephone lines do not have high bandwidth.
Therefore, we have to convert the digital signal first into an analog signal which
needs lower bandwidth by means of the modulation process.
16. Why the carrier frequencies allotted for AM broadcast are comparatively
smaller than those allotted for FM broadcast?
FM signal is having a comparatively larger bandwidth. Thus to accommodate more
FM signals on a particular frequency spectrum without any adjacent channel
interference, higher carrier frequencies are must.
17. What is the difference between AM and FM Modulation?
AM signals can be affected by noise as the information lies in the amplitude of the
signal, while FM is immune to noise because the information lies in the frequency of
the signal.
The design of Transmitter and receiver for AM is very simple except for some cases
like SSB. While in FM, the transmitter and receiver have a complex design.
AM signal can travel long distances as compared to FM signals.
FM signal’s transmission consume more power as compared to AM signal’s
transmission.
AM signal frequency ranges in KHz while FM signal frequency ranges in MHz
18. What is the principle of microwave?
Ans: Microwave essentially means very short wave. The
microwave frequency spectrum is usually taken to extend from 1GHZ to 30GHZ.
19. How many satellites are required to cover the earth?
Ans: 3 satellites are required to cover the entire earth, which is placed at 120 degree
to each other. The life span of the satellite is about 15 years.

GSM, Wi-Fi, and WiMAX

Question 1. What are the difference frequency bands supported in GSM?
Answer. There are four categories of frequency bands supported by GSM standard. It
includes GSM850,GSM900,DCS1800 and PCS1900 bands.

Question 2. Explain the call flow of mobile originated call and mobile terminated
call flow in GSM.
Answer. Call originated from mobile to the other subscriber through base station is
referred as mobile originated call or MO Call. Call originated from base station and
getting terminated on mobile subscriber is referred as mobile terminated call or MT
Call. Suppose mobile subscriber-A is calling mobile subscriber-B via base station then
call from A to base station is referred as MO call and from base station to B is referred
as MT call.

Question 3. What is the difference between GSM and GPRS?

Answer. GSM is mainly developed for carrying voice traffic while GPRS is
developed for data traffic. In GSM 51 frame and 26 frame multiframe structure is
used. In GPRS 52 frame multiframe is used. GPRS supports CS1,CS2,CS3 and CS4
modulation and coding schemes.

Question 4 .Explain the difference between TDMA, FDMA and CDMA?

Answer. TDMA,FDMA and CDMA are access techniques to utilize time,frequency,
and code respectively. TDMA means Time Division Multiple Access,FDMA means
Frequency Division Multiple Access and CDMA means Code Division Multiple
Access. GSM uses both TDMA and FDMA. FDMA comes by dividing the frequency
band say 890 to 915 and 935 to 960 MHz bands into sub-carriers of 200 KHz
bandwidth each. Hence by FDMA we get 124 subcarriers. TDMA comes by allocating
eight time slots TS0 to TS7 to each subcarrier.

Question 5. What is BSIC? Why it is needed in GSM system?

Answer. BSIC means Base Station Identity Code. It is 6 bits in size and carried in
GSM SCH channel. This BSIC will have 3 bits of BCC and 3 bits of NCC. BCC
stands for Base Station color code and NCC stands for Network Color Code. BSIC
helps in differentiating and identifying the correct cell when two similar cells with
same broadcast frequencies are transmitting. This is unique to all the GSM BTS.
Question 6. Explain types of handover.
Answer. Handover or Handoff refers to connection of mobile subscriber with base
station when mobile moves at higher speed. There are various ways handover happens
in GSM viz. within the same BTS region, between BTS and another BTS, between
BSC and another BSC. The main types are hard handover and soft handover. Hard
handover means connection is broken with Active BTS cell before new connection
with neighbour cell is made. Soft handover means connection with new BTS is first
made before the connection with the active BTS cell is broken. Now-a-days handover
between two different RATs have become common due to demand and availability of
multi-RAT features in single mobile terminals. Inter-RAT handover refers to handover
betwen GSM to UMTS,UMTS to GSM,GSM to LTE,LTE to GSM, CDMA to LTE ,
LTE to CDMA and so on.

Question 7. What is Wi-Fi Technology?

Answer.A way to get Internet access, the term Wi Fi is a play upon the decades-old
term HiFi that describes the type of output generated by quality musical hardware, Wi
Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity and is used to define any of the wireless technology in
the IEEE 802.11 specification - including (but not necessarily limited to) the wireless
protocols 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The Wi-Fi Alliance is the body responsible
for promoting the term and its association with various wireless technology standards.

Question 8. What are the different Wi-Fi generations?

Answer. The IEEE 802.11 generation is only the earliest standard, allowing 1-2 Mbps
of bandwidth. Amendments have been made to the original standard to optimize
bandwidth (these include the 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g standards, which are also
called 802.11 physical standards) or to better specify components to ensure improved
security or compatibility.
Question 9. What are the differences between the 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g
wireless networking standards?
Answer. The 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networking standards are all part
of the IEEE 802.11 family of standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs).
The main differences between them are in terms of speed, range, and frequency band.
802.11a is a 5GHz standard that supports up to 54 Mbps data rate with a maximum
coverage range of about 150 feet. It has been designed primarily for indoor use due to
its shorter range.
802.11b operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band and offers a maximum data rate of
11Mbps. Its range is much greater than 802.11a, reaching up to 300 feet indoors and
900 feet outdoors.
Lastly, 802.11g is an upgrade of the 802.11b standard that operates on the same
2.4GHz frequency band but provides higher speeds of up to 54Mbps. It also has a
longer range than 802.11b, reaching up to 400 feet indoors and 1,200 feet outdoors.”
Question 10. What is the purpose of a wireless access point?
Answer. A wireless access point (WAP) is a device that allows users to connect to a
network wirelessly. It acts as a bridge between the wired and wireless networks,
allowing devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones to communicate with each
other without having to be physically connected to the network. The WAP also
provides security by encrypting data sent over the airwaves, ensuring that only
authorized users can access the network.

Question 11. What are the differences between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency
bands?
Answer. The 2.4 GHz band is used for most Wi-Fi devices, as it has longer range than
the 5 GHz band. However, the 2.4 GHz band can be more prone to interference from
other wireless devices such as microwaves or cordless phones.The 5 GHz band offers
higher speeds and less interference since fewer wireless devices use this band. It also
has shorter range compared to the 2.4 GHz band, so it may not be suitable for larger
areas.

Question 12. What is Piggybacking in context to Wi-Fi?

Answer. Piggybacking is a term which states that something that is riding on the back
of something else to complete his/her motive, just like similar to an idiom putting gun
to another’s shoulder and performing Hunting, so piggybacking is a term used to refer
to access of a wireless internet connection by bringing one’s own computer within the
range of another’s wireless connection, and using that service without the subscriber’s
explicit permission or knowledge. It is a legally and ethically controversial practice,
with laws that vary in jurisdictions around the world. Piggybacking is an unauthorized
tapping into another’s connection with a public utility.

Question 13. How to secure wireless network?

Answer. Following steps must be done to secure wireless network:
a) Verify that your PC's software firewall is turned on, and that Window's file-sharing
feature is off; it's off by default in Windows XP with Service Pack 2.
b) Never send bank passwords, credit card numbers, confidential e-mail, or other
sensitive data unless you're sure you're on secure site: Look for the lock icon in the
bottom-right corner of your browser, as well as a URL in the address bar that begins
with https. Such sites build in their own encryption.
c) Always turn your Wi-Fi radio off when you're not at a hotspot: Hackers can use it
to create peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections with your computer and access it directly.
d)For better security, consider signing up for a paid subscription to a hotspot network
such as Boingo or T-Mobile. Both companies provide connection software that
encrypts your sessions automatically.

Question 14. What are advantages and disadvantages of an Ad-Hoc network?

Answer.
Advantages:
The possibilities with Ad-Hoc network are quite endless.
a) Ad-Hoc networks are simple to set up.
b) Ad-Hoc networks are inexpensive.
c) Ad-Hoc networks are fast.
Disadvantages:
a) It is not able to get into the mainstream wired local area network.
b) It needs more technology to support their reliability.
c) As the network increases its speed slows down considerably.

Question 15. What is a Wi Fi Hotspot?

Answer: .A Wi Fi hotspot is defined as any location in which 802.11 (wireless)
technology both exists and is available for use to consumers. In some cases the
wireless access is free, and in others, wireless carriers charge for Wi Fi usage.
Generally, the most common usage of Wi Fi technology is for laptop users to gain
Internet access in locations such as airports, coffee shops, and so on, where Wi Fi
technology can be used to help consumers in their pursuit of work-based or
recreational Internet usage.

Question 16. How WiMax works?

Answer. WiMAX combines the advantages of Wi-Fi and a wide coverage of cellular
network. It takes a best part of wi-fi networks, the fast speed and broadband internet
experience. WiMAX is a WAN technology, service providers will deploy a WiMAX
network that enables access over long distance. Coverage for a geographical area is
divided into a series of overlapping areas called cells. Each cell provides coverage for
users within that immediate vicinity. When you travel from one cell to another, the
wireless connection is handed off from one cell to another.

Question 17. Define raging procedure in WiMAX system?

Answer.I n WiMAX system, ranging procedure is initiated by SS(Subscriber Station)
to establish connection with BS(Base Station). This ranging procedure are of many
types mainly available for synchronization and maintenance of RF link. After Ranging
is completed, Base station waits for SBC REQ message transmitted by the WiMAX
SS. Using SBC REQ message SS informs BS of its basic capabilities. Unlike ranging
request (RNG REQ) there is no dedicated slot for bandwidth request and SBC REQ.
Bandwidth request can be transmitted anywhere in the uplink subframe except the
reserved ranging slot.

Question 18. Which modulation schemes are supported by WiMAX?

Answer. The following modulation schemes are supported by WiMAX:
Binary phase shift keying modulation
Quadrature phase shift keying modulation
Quadrature amplitude modulation
Question 19. What frequencies are used by WiMAX networks?
Answer. Standards does not define any uniform global licensed spectrum for
WiMAX;however, the WiMAX forum has published 3 licensed spectrum profiles 2.3
GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz, in an effort to drive standardization and decrease cost.
Also plans for use of analog TV spectrum (700 MHz) await the complete deployment
of digital TV.

Question 20. What is the Difference between WiMAX and LTE?

Answer. Both WiMAX and LTE are used for providing broadband wireless internet
services. WiMAX is a completely new standard developed for providing high data
rate internet services. WiMAX is designed for only data applications. As it is entirely
new technology without any legacy support,it is very costly and requires service
provider to install all the equipments.
LTE follow cellular standards such as HSPA,WCDMA,GSM etc but it is designed
mainly for data applications. It is also referred as all IP data network. Voice over LTE
is also possible using legacy fall backs and using VOIP protocols. Due to predecessors
existing equipments can be make use of and hence it is less costly and requires
minimum initial investment.